AARP (American Association of Retired Persons)

Member Website

The AARP member Website is comprehensive, serving as a central hub of resources, benefits, information, and networking facilitation. The tabs organizing the Website (e.g., travel, money, leisure) outline member benefits provided by the network. Members can participate in AARP's Web-based online community, allowing them to connect with other members as well as to join interest groups (for example, the Fat to Fit group). In this way, members are able to collaborate with and support one another across a very broad range of interests.

The leisure section includes travel tips; a leisure newsletter containing movie reviews, games, and recipes; member polls; a social networking guide to Ning, Facebook, and the like; and a portal to the Expedia-powered AARP Travel Center to book discounted travel accommodations. The family section is primarily article-based, providing tips, tricks, and advice to topics of interest to AARP members. Articles in this section typically focus on grandparenting, caregiving, love and relationships, housing and mobility, or life after loss.

Face-to-Face and Media Networking

The organization also facilitates a variety of face-to-face networking opportunities. Members are able to network geographically (with others in their area) or by common interests. Geographically, members can look for events, groups, and clubs meeting in their local area. One example is AARP's new community garden initiative. Working in conjunction with the American Community Gardening Association and HandsOn Network, [Page 2]the community garden initiative helps its members find local community gardens, or supports member efforts to start a new garden and to recruit other members. Likewise, AARP works with the Global Greeter Network to help members find local tours and culture as they travel, thus enabling members to meet others all over the world.

AARP disseminates information to network members via the AARP Bulletin, AARP TV, AARP Radio, and AARP The Magazine. AARP Bulletin is a daily online newspaper, and much of its content is open to the general public. The bulletin also provides state-specific information, including news specific to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The bulletin and magazine often provide travel suggestions, helping to facilitate member interaction (for example, 300-person river cruises through Europe). AARP TV produces and airs programs targeted for the 50+ population, including documentaries and financial and health issues. These programs are aired nationally on public television stations, RLTV, and via podcast from the AARP Website. AARP Radio has a similar scope, offering news, interviews, commentaries, and general-interest stories aired via live online streaming, downloadable podcasts, and various local public radio stations. According to Magazine Publishers of America's 2010 statistics, AARP The Magazine is the world's largest-circulation magazine (over 23 million paid subscriptions annually), greater than that of People, Sports Illustrated, Newsweek, Cosmopolitan, Vogue, Forbes, and Playboy combined. The magazine covers many of the same topics as the Website, is targeted to one of three distinct AARP member age groups, and is also available online to members. Like much of the Website content, the magazine is also published in Spanish, expanding the reach of the AARP network.

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